Many people ask why we seem to be so successful with growing lavender.  Below, I’ll share with you what we do.  So many factors come into play when growing any plant that there is never a how-to guide that guarantees success for everyone.  The winter of 2003-2004 in New England truly humbled us; we lost many plants; and we certainly had to re-think mulching strategies.

The Types of Lavender

Stockbridge Farm has found that L. angustifola and L. x intermedia can be grown quite successfully in the Pioneer Valley, although extremely harsh winters with no snow cover can be deadly. Of the many varieties of L. angustifola, we have had success with hidcote and munstead, which are commonly called “English lavender.”   We also grow Jean Davis, Sarah, and vera.  We have not been successful with variegated varieties; this year, we’re trying a new variety called Czech.  The length of the flowering spike can vary from variety to variety, but most are between 3 and 10 inches.  The color of the buds and later flowers can range from very light pinks to dark purples. 

The L. x intermedia varieties include grosso (our favorite), dillydilly, provence, and others.  These varieties, often commonly called “French lavender” have a much taller spike which can be anywhere between 10 and 18 inches if not longer.  Color can also vary, but most are a medium purple. We find the fragrance of these varieties to be quite intense and stronger than “English” varieties.

Be aware that L. dentata, commonly called “Spanish lavender”, will not over-winter in New England.  We treat this lovely lavender as a container plant, which must be brought inside for the winter.  Our rule of thumb:  Be wary of lavender with fringed foliage; it will die in winter.  When buying lavender plants always ask:  “Will this over-winter in New England?”  Also, look for those Latin names:  L dentate is a no-no.

Growing Lavender

We are in somewhere between Zone 4B and Zone 5A.  We obtain our lavender as young plants (plugs) and begin planting in mid-May.  Our soil tends to be sandy and our major field is on a hill facing south.  Other than keeping the weeds out, we leave them alone.  We don’t fertilize and there has not been a need to water.  Lavender, it seems, is quite drought resistant. Luckily, the deer seem to hate it; and the bees from the nearby apiary seem to love it. 

We plant our lavender in rows which are 3 feet apart (to accommodate a rototiller) and space them 18-24 inches from each other.  Lavender does grow quickly and the spaces fill in nicely.  From late June to mid-July, the plant will send up its flowering spikes.  If we want to harvest for buds, we cut the spikes just as each spike begins to flower.  If we’re growing to sell the plants, we let them alone.   We enjoy them all summer.  In September it’s time to prune.  Although some growers prefer to prune in the spring, I prefer fall pruning.

The classic date for frost in our area is Columbus Day, but we have had killing frosts much earlier.  Around September 10, well before killing frost, we prune heavily by taking 1/3 off the entire plant.  This really hurts the gardener more than the plant.  The lavender must be pruned to avoid gnarly plants in the future.  New growth does not come from what is showing, but from below. 

Prior to that horrible winter of 2003-2004, we let snow be our mulch for the winter.  Now, we know better.  We use “floating row cover,” which is a cross between paper and cloth.  (It very much resembles those clothes dryer sheets that folks throw in the dryer, but extremely bigger and without the scent.)  We cover the plants, and weigh down the edges.

In the spring, around the time you see the strawberry growers pulling off the straw, take off the mulch.  Warning:  The lavender looks dead.  It is extremely slow to green and sometimes you won’t see obvious new growth on a plant until early June.  Many people complain that their lavender dies (and some plants do), but patience is needed to make sure.

What Do You Do With It?

We get asked this question the most.  In many cases the answer is “Look at it, smell it, and enjoy it.”  But being more practical, we do harvest some for fresh and dried lavender bunches.  At this time, harvesting the buds is too time-consuming, but the buds can be used for potpourris and culinary purposes.  We also can dig up and sell the plants themselves.  Believe it or not, with over 4000 plants at Stockbridge Farm, we are not big enough to harvest the whole crop to distill and produce lavender oil.  It takes a great deal of lavender to do that. 

We have events at the farm that highlight lavender and other herbs like our Day in Provence and the Mill River Herb Fest.  In addition to selling the plants, we attend Craft Fairs and festivals and sell lavender products.  We are always exploring the use of lavender in cooking.